1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a protector and an article of sportswear using the same and more particularly but not exclusively relates to a protecting pad which is adapted to be mounted to an article of sportswear and an article of sportswear having such a protecting pad attached thereto.
2. Prior Art
Usually, protectors are put on bodies of athletes in various hard sports, such as skiing, baseball and motorcycling, for effectively protecting them from unexpected impact. Conventional protectors include, for example, a one-piece synthetic resin protector, a protector pad, inserted in pants cloth, such as a knee pad of ski pants, an inner protector, such as used by baseball umpires, and a shinguard used by a catcher.
However, conventional protectors are disadvantageous in that provision of flexibility to them for fully following various movements of a body of the wearer rather deteriorates rigidity thereof. The rigidity or hardness of the protectors is required for protecting the wearer against damages due to external excessive impact. Thus, conventional protectors do not fully meet these conflicting requirements. The prior art covers protectors over an article of sportswear and fails to provide an integral type of protecting garment, in which protectors and the garment are integrally formed, except ski pants having knee pads of a flexible plastic plate incorporated into them. The knee pads of the ski pants are poor in rigidity for fitting the body of the wearer and hence they are not sufficient as protectors for hard sports.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a protector and an article of sportswear using the protector. The protector has sufficient rigidity against damage from external impact with light weight as compared to the prior art protector whereas it has sufficient flexibility to follow movements of the body of the wearer, thus fitting the latter.